Oklahoma City Council Defers Vote on License Plate Reader Contract

The Oklahoma City Council deferred a scheduled August 4 vote regarding the renewal of a $270,000 contract with Flock Group Inc. for automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology. The delay allows city staff to make unspecified changes to the agreement, which would fund the maintenance of 90 active cameras through June 30, 2027, using the police sales tax fund.

Civil liberties groups and activists, including DeFlock OKC, oppose the renewal, citing privacy risks and the potential for the system to be used in federal immigration crackdowns. In response, the Oklahoma City Police Department released a video stating that federal agencies lack direct access to the system and that built-in filters prohibit immigration-related searches.

Supporters of the technology, including the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police, argue the tools are essential for finding missing persons and stolen vehicles. They maintain that internal audits provide sufficient checks and balances to prevent misuse, while critics argue that mass surveillance technology cannot be trusted regardless of the safeguards in place.